New Programming Cycle

April 9, 2017

What is CrossFit? The CrossFit prescription is performing “functional movements that are constantly varied at high intensity.” The CrossFit program is designed to elicit as broad an adaptational response as possible.

CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains. They are as follows:

Right now at CFS we are more of a strength-biased conditioning program, aka NOT CrossFit as it was originally designed. When you try to cram a strength component with a WOD day in and day out, you suffer and our coaching suffers. By trying to fill the hour with as much as we can, we’re reducing our intensity and thereby reducing results. How can we possibly be properly warming up, coaching, correcting, and allowing everyone to hit peak intensity in a session when we’re trying to do 10 different things? How can you give your all on Fran after you just did a 5RM back squat? You can’t! Your performance on one, or both, of those things will suffer when done back to back.

So starting this week we’re going to program less in the CrossFit classes and focus more on pursuing virtuosity. Most days will no longer have two parts. Every now and then we might lift before a WOD, but definitely not as often.

Some days will be short, some will be long, some day will be heavy, some days might be light. But whatever the day is, we will only do one thing in class, and we will do it right! We’ll properly warm up, mobilize, and work on technique before doing a WOD.

There might be some resistance to this change, but this will work out better for everyone. Trust me!

For those that think this change of programming “isn’t enough”, there are options. Classes will not always last an entire hour so you’ll have time at the end to do other things. Everyone can come in early and stay after their class to work on their weaknesses. Extra work is on the board every day that most everyone neglects. Plus we have supplemental programming like barbell club, gymnastics, rowing/running, and sweatshop. Go under your settings on the sugarwod app and subscribe to one of those tracks.

If you still want to work on strength every day, subscribe to “Barbell Club” and pick one or all of the many lifts programmed every day. If you want to work on your aerobic capacity, there are rowing (and running) wods under “Ready Set Row”. And then there’s plenty of workouts under “Gymnasty” for those that want to get better at bodyweight movements. We’ll soon add more specialty classes to the schedule for more coach-directed technique work. It’s up to you if and how you specialize, and your coaches will help you get there. I would just suggest that you NOT do all the programming tracks every day or else you’re going to break yourself down and regress.

See y’all at the gym!

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